Ole Miss Lacrosse Blog: Continuing the Tradition

Ole Miss coaches Alicia Meredith and Patrick Aiello check in with the fifth installment of the blog from Oxford.

Three Girls Down, and We Still Won

By: Alicia Meredith

Following up from a successful weekend at Georgia Tech, we loaded our Ole Miss Athletics vans with 12 players and two coaches, and set out to play Alabama and Samford. We had only one goal in mind, win both games.

Game one against Alabama was a surprisingly lopsided in our favor. We won 10-3, compared to our fall match-up where we scraped by, pulling out a win, 8-7. Excited about our victory, and our 2-1 record, we casually warmed up for game two verse Samford, a team we had also beat in the fall.

Yes we only had 12 girls, but what’s the worst thing that could happen? One get tired, sick, a card, or a small injury? We could deal with that.

The game started off rather smooth. We scored, had a few fast breaks, caused several turnovers, and then received our first yellow card twenty two minutes into the first half. “One yellow card is normal, we're fine,” I thought to myself.

We make it through the first half and partially through the second still ahead, and then slowly our team starts to diminish one by one. The same athlete from the first half received a second yellow card, resulting in a red card, and the team having to play a man down for the duration of the game. Not worried, having faith in my team, my center then collides with an opposing defender fearing she may have a concussion, and comes off the field. Having no subs, we were now down two players, up by one goal, and the clock ticking with about nine minutes left in the game.

Timeout, Ole Miss. My tired and panicked stricken girls jogged in angry, beaten, and a bit hopeless. I reminded them that although the actual amount of players on the field are not the same, they are the same at each end of the field, and as long as we were in control of the ball, we cannot lose.

Determined to win, they took the field. Full of intensity, the whistle blew, and only a few minutes in, my defensive leader gets carded, our third yellow card, equaling a team red card, and us having to play another player down for the rest of the game. We're now down three players with about two minutes to go in the game, and a tied ballgame at 8-8. As the game continues, I look to my center for help, who at this point is the only person that can go in. With the trainer’s approval, she runs onto the field.

A nervous wreck, and all the odds against us, my twin midfielders take charge, move the ball up the field, and put two balls in the back of the net. We won, 10-8.

In complete shock and amazement my girls rushed to congratulate each other. I’m not sure how we pulled off two wins that day, but I do know my girls were proud of themselves, and as we drove home reminiscing about the game, we put “All I Do Is Win, Win, Win, No Matter What!” on repeat!!!!

Continuing the Tradition

By: Patrick Aiello

As the summer days dwindle down and the city of Oxford transforms into another school year, fall ball approaches for the Ole Miss men’s lacrosse team. This past weekend I was mountain biking through campus and caught a glimpse of the Ole Miss football team practicing, and what struck me more than anything is how much head football coach Houston Nutt preaches tradition here at Ole Miss something that the Ole Miss men’s lacrosse team will continue to do here as well.

This city is bred for college lacrosse and with the tremendous academics and prestigious athletics it’s only fitting that lacrosse fits right into that scenario. I have worked hard and diligently along with the women’s coach Alicia Meredith in building both of our programs. Yes, lacrosse fans — lacrosse is in Oxford, Mississippi and ready to take off in 2012. I’m looking forward to kicking off fall practice which begins August 29 the start of a new beginning for the men’s program.

The great part about our incoming freshmen class is that they are from all over the country and their styles of play are all different and unique. What’s cool about watching the city of Oxford slowly get flooded with students is how lively the campus and city is becoming. As a new dawn begins for another school year at Ole Miss so it does for both men’s and women’s lacrosse. As the days countdown to fall practice it’s been a lot of getting to know a lot of the players and my new assistant coach Billy Staines who will be our defensive coordinator with his experience as LSM at North Carolina and is outgoing personality it fits perfectly into what we are trying to preach as a coaching staff. The SEC is perhaps the best college sports conference and I’m excited to be a part of it. Rebel Lacrosse will be in full effect come August 29 and into 2012 season.